Braking mechanism for yielding highway barriers



P. c. BUTTE BRAKING MECHANISM FOR YIELDING HIGHWAY BARRIERS Filed June4, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.1

INVENTOR. FAULE. BUTT EL ATTORNEY- Feb. 7, 1933. P. c. BUTTEBRAKINGMECHANISM FOR YIELDING HIGHWAY BARRIERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledJune 4, 1932 l rflllllllllrlllII!!!lflrlfllllllfllllllfarrllrllll/l4911/INVENTOR. HquLE. BUTTE.

, ATTORNEY.

7 30 ing Patented Feb. 7, 1933 UNITED: STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL O. BUTTE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH IB.STRAUSS, 1.

OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA Appli'cati ori filed June 4, 1932. SerialNo. 615,453."

This invention relates to improvements in braking mechanism for yieldinghighway barriers.

The principal object of the invention is to {provide means wherebyhighway barriers Wlll be free to pay out a considerable distance duringthe time that the barrier is descending if the same is struck by amoving vehicle, and

, "further to provide means whereby this pay- 1 ing out of the barrierwill be retarded in- 1ts action as soon as the barrier has reached itslower-most position. 9 g

A further object is to provide means whereby the retarded paying outaction is progressively resisted as the paying out operation progresses.

A further object is to provide means whereby the barrier may beretracted after being payed out.

A further object is to produce a device which is economical to-manufac'ture'.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of thefollowing description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame, 7

Fig. 1 is a'front elevation of a: barrier havmy invention attachedthereto, the; sup-' porting columns being shown in dotted lines,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail front elevation of one of the barrierbraking mechanisms,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view T taken on the line 33 ofFig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a top plan new of Fig. .3 partly in cross section and showingthe magnetic valve and control therefor. v

Barriers are placed adjacentall bridges 4-0 wherein a section of thebridge is adapted to be opened for traflic therethrough duringwhich'time traffic over the bridge is temporarily stopped. Thesebarriers are all different-types, the type to which my invention appliesis the vertically lifting flexible barrier type wherein a net issuspended between two posts positioned at oppositelsi'des of thehighway, the endsof the net being secured to cables which are mounted intravellers movable'in the supports. As the barrier and is movable in thecylinder 5 and has a tubular lead over pulleys 21 39 is attached to thelever magnet is connected to the line wires L1 and supports form no partof this invention they will only be incidentally referred to.

7 My invention consists of a hydraulic cylinder 5 supported on thecarrier 6. A piston 7 connecting rod 8 which is secured by nuts 9 to thetop plate 11 of the carrier 6. Mounted upon the sides of'the carrier 6are guide supports 12 and 13 which support the'ends of the cables 14 and16, respectively, of the barrier 17. Thesecables 14 and 16 pass overldlers l8 and 19, respectively, and are then and; 22. The pulleys 21 aremounted upon the top of the carrier 6 whlle the pulleys 22 are mountedupon the i bottom of the cylinder 5-.- I

The result of this construction is that when the barrier is-struck,thecables 14 and 16 will cause the cylinder 5 to rise upon the connectmgrod 8 thus permitting the cables to pay out the necessary distance toperform the function desired. 7

Referring now to Fig. 3, it will be noted that the cylinder 5 has aby-pass passage 23 which extends the entire length of the cylinder andthat ports 24 are spaced from end ports are adapted to be moved intoalignment V with the ports 27. This rod 29 is supported by an expansionspring 31 which has its lower end abuttinga collar 32 supported withinthe connecting rod "8 and has its u per lield end abutting a nut 33. Alever 34 is betweenthe'nut 33and the nut 36. A spring 37 is connected'tothe lever 3 1 and to apin 38 secured at the side of the linders. Thisspring tends tonormally hold the rod 29 in such a'position thatth'eports-27' and '29 will be out of alignment. An electromlagnet sewhiehelectro- L2 through the' medium of abridge 15011341,

engaging contacts 42 and 43. 00

The result of this construction is that when my device is installed andconnected with the bridge mechanism, the initial operation of the bridgemechanism will cause the carriers 6 to descend toward the highway thuslowering the barrier in the same direction. During the period of descentthe electromagnet 39 being energized, the ports, 27 and 29 will be inalignment with each other and therefore should a vehicle strike thebarrier during the time it is descending,"the vehicle will cause thecables to pay out with the movement of the vehicle, whichpaying outmovement will not be resisted materially for the reason that a fluidconfined within the cylinder will pass through the ports 27 and 29'. asthe cylinder is moved upwardly over the piston through the action of thepaying out of the cables 14 and 16, thus drawing upon the reserveportion of the cables extending over the pulleys 21 and 22. V

It is obvious that in all probabilities, the driver of a vehiclestriking the barrier under these conditions would stop his vehicle anddrive backward with the result that therelease of pressure from thebarrier will per mit the cylinder 5 to drop, thus taking upsubstantially all of the slack in the barrier supporting cables. 7 7

Assuming now that the carriers reach the bottom of their travel withouta vehicle striking, then the interlocking mechanism connecting with thebridge permits the operator of the bridge to withdraw the locking bolt41 so that the bridge may be raised, which act disconnects the contacts42 and 43, thus de-energizing the electromagnet 89 with the result'thatthe spring 37 will rot-ate the rod 29 thus rotating the valve 28 so asto move the ports 27 and 29 out of alignment with each other. Now shoulda vehicle strike the barrier thesame paying out action will takeplacewith the exception that as the cylinder rises on the piston, fluidwithin the piston, in order to escape to a point above the piston, mustpass through the ports 24 and into the by-pass 23 thence into theupperportion of the cylinder, and during the initial upward movement it willbe obvious that all of the ports 24 will permit this by-pass action, butduring the later movement it will be obvious that as the piston passesthe va rious ports their action will be cut oil, thus graduallyincreasing the hydraulic resistance to the cylinder moving over thepiston and as a result the stopping action of the vehicle engagingthe'barrier when it is in its lowermost position will be gradual thuspreventing injury, to the vehicle or to the occupant,

but providing a very effective stopping medium. V

After pressure is relieved from the barrier the cylinder 5 will againtend to move to its lower-most position, which movement would be slowwere it not for the fact that the valve 28 may move away from the piston7 as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3 thus permitting the fluid abovethe piston to rapidly flow to a point below the piston. As soon as thecylinder has reached the bottom of its travel the spring 31 will againraise the valve 28 into contact with the bottom of the piston.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be'taken as a preferred example of the same and thatvarious changes relative to the material, size, shape and arrangement ofparts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of theinvention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim r 1'. In combination with ahighway barrier mechanism associated'with the barrier and connected tosaid barrier when in operative and inoperative position and serving toretard movement of the barrier in a horizontal direction. Y a

2. In a device of the character described, a pair of spaced posts and aflexible barrier therebetween defining a highway barrier, hydraulicbraking mechanism associated with the posts and connected to saidbarrier while saidbarrier is in both operative and inoperative positionsand adapted when in an operative position to retard horizontal movementof a vehicle contacting the flexible barrier, and means embodied in saidmechanism for releasing the retarding action of the hydraulic brakingmechanism when the barrier is in an inoperative position. 3. Incombination with a highway 'barrier capable of being moved intooperative and inoperative position, a brake mechanism comprising acylinder, a piston movable in said cylinder, said cylinder and saidpiston being operatively connected to said barrier when said barrier isin either operative or inoperative position, a by-pass formed on saidcylinder, valves connecting said cylinder and said byA-passwherebymovement of said piston in said cylinder will be progressivelyincreasingly retarded to retard movement of said barrier when saidbarrier isin operative position. v

4; In combination with a highway barrier capable of being moved intooperative and inoperative position, a brake mechanism comprising acylinder, a piston movable in said cylinder, said cylinder. and saidpiston being operatively connected to said barrier, a by-pass formed onsaid cylinder, valves connecting said cylinder and said by-passwherebymovement of said piston in said cylinder will be progressivelyincreasingly retarded to retard movement of said barrier when saidbarrier is in operative position, and a valve mounted on said piston,said piston and said valve having ports therein whereby when said portsare in alignment the retarding action of said device will be prevented.

5. A hydraulic braking mechanism for a highway barrier, including incombination with a barrier and cables therefor, of a cylinder, a piston,cable carrying means carried by said cylinder and said piston andcapable of having the cables of said barrier reaved thereover, saidpiston having ports formed therein, a valve movably contacting one sideof said piston, ports formed in said valve, means for movably holdingsaid ports in said piston and said valve out of registration, means formoving said ports into registration, and yielding means for supportingsaid valve in contact with said piston.

6. A hydraulic braking mechanism for a highway barrier including incombination with a barrier and cables therefor, of a cylinder, a piston,a connecting rod, cables carrying means connected to said cylinder andto said connecting rod, said piston having ports formed therein, a valvenormally engaging one face of said piston, ports formed in said valve,the ports in said valve and said piston being capable of registration, arod connected to said valve whereby said valve may be rotated withrespect to said piston, resilient means for supporting said rod wherebysaid valve is normally held against said piston,

resilient means for normally preventing registration of said ports insaid valve and said ports in said piston, and remote control means forrotating said valve against said last mentioned resilient means, wherebysaid ports in said valve are moved into registration with said ports insaid piston.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature.

PAUL C. BUTTE.

